


Without

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: Little Things [161]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Community: fma_fic_contest, Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 10:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2729498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  Edward no longer has his alchemy.<br/>Disclaimer:  This is Arakawa's baby, not mine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without

When Edward offered his alchemy as a trade to the Truth, he knew what would happen: he would lose the power to transmute. He would never, ever be able to do the things he’d taken for granted in these years past, since Alphonse and he started this journey. 

And a part of him mourned that loss. He had given away something that had been very important to him; something that had put him on equal footing with older men and women; something which made him feel like he could take on the world. Granted, he saw the pain that alchemy caused – and felt it himself. And he’d seen how much alchemy hurt people – look at Teacher and Mr. Curtis; at the Ishvalans. 

At Nina. 

At Alphonse. 

He could see how alchemy could destroy as well as repair, even if that was just one component of it. Kimblee had been intent on destruction – his alchemy had never been used to actually help. And Major Armstrong – Edward heard enough stories about how the man was sent away from the Ishvalan desert in disgrace for his inability to destroy the ‘enemy’. 

Edward knew it was the right sacrifice to give in exchange for Alphonse’s body. Offering another limb wouldn’t get them anywhere; Truth hadn’t given Alphonse’s body back, just his soul the last time Edward offered almost everything. 

Alchemy was what put them in the situation where they could try to bring their mother back from the dead. A misfire took Edward’s leg and Alphonse’s whole body. To pluck Alphonse’s body from beyond Truth’s doors, Edward had to offer something of equal value – not his own life, but the thing that nearly destroyed theirs, back on that night. 

Alchemy or his brother; alchemy or the life he had now. 

Edward figured he’d made the right choice.


End file.
